As the cost of both chronic care and diagnostic imaging continue to rise, it is important to consider methods of cost containment in these areas. Therefore, it seems important to study the relationship of self-referral for imaging and the cost of care of chronic illnesses. Previous studies,...

ABSTRACT/SYNOPSIS. Medicine is technologically dynamic but fiscally inertial. Major change in the health sector takes time. Responses to macroeconomic shocks are subject to lags of varying lengths, from several years to many decades. There may also be feedback and reverse causality, as when...

We analyse the evolution of Private Consumption on Health, having into account that there are substitution effects between public and private expenditure in OECD countries. From the analysis of the evolution of these variables our main conclusion is that the increase of expenditure on Health,...

This paper examines HSA and HRA assets, account balances, and rollover amounts. It examines the types of individuals likely to have a consumer-driven health plan (CDHP). It then examines differences in account balances by demographics, income, contribution levels, and engagement in an...

This paper examines the savings needed to cover health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses for health care services in retirement and evaluates the use of health savings accounts (HSAs) to save for those expenses. Proponents of HSAs often tout them as a vehicle for funding future...

This paper provides estimates for savings needed to cover health insurance to supplement Medicare and out-of-pocket expenses for health care services in retirement. It finds that a male age 65 in 2008 and retiring at age 65 will need anywhere from $64,000 to $159,000 in savings to cover health...

Medicaid occupies a special place among government programs for the poor. Public support for Medicaid is broader and deeper than for other safety net programs because the consequences of inadequate medical care can be much more immediate and severe than those of a lack of money or even food....

This study uses the Continuous Medicare History Sample (CMHS), a longitudinal sample of Medicare beneficiaries from 1974 to 1997, to identify persistence in Medicare reimbursements. Consistent estimates of Medicare reimbursement persistence are obtained using a dynamic panel Tobit model. Lagged...

Health care extends life. Over the past half century, Americans have spent a rising share of total economic resources on health and have enjoyed substantially longer lives as a result. Debate on health policy often focuses on limiting the growth of health spending. We investigate an issue...

Objective: To compare medical care costs and utilization in a consumer directed health plan (CDHP) to other health insurance plans. Study Design: We examine claims and employee demographic data from one large employer that adopted a CDHP in 2001. A quasi-experimental pre/post design is used to...